I have been working in the International Recruitment Team at the University of Westminster since the second half of my Masters last year. It was initially a 3-month contract, but it was extended and eventually covered the period of classes, exams and my final dissertation altogether.<\/p>\n
If you ask me how I got this job within the university, I\u2019d say exactly the same as what I recommended to the September starters: check out the Talent Bank<\/a>!\u00a0If you haven’t heard about it, the Talent Bank is a programme which posts paid part-time jobs offered by the university and external companies. They also provide career development support and how to improve your employability skills.<\/p>\n Fortunately, I learned about the Talent Bank at a time when I was struggling to find suitable part-time jobs. Through the programme, I got a 3-week market research job in March for an external project of the University of Westminster. It was a very quick ad-hoc project, so when it ended, I started to look for a longer part-time contract.<\/p>\n I was prioritising jobs which were similar to an internship position, flexible and located close to my university. However, most of the internships are not paid, and the majority of part-time jobs concentrated in retail and catering shifts. Nothing against them, of course, but I wanted to experience how it is to work in a corporate environment in the UK.<\/p>\n Luckily for me, in that same month I found an assistant position posted on the Talent Bank website for the International Recruitment team at the university. It was mostly an admin job, but there were tasks which interested me such as\u00a0liaising with international students and supporting event planning.<\/p>\n So I sent out my CV and cover letter and shortly got an interview opportunity. It was one of the best job interviews I\u2019ve ever had. I felt prepared to answer questions about my skills, gave examples of my previous jobs performances and elaborated on how I could contribute to the position. At the same time, I got along with the recruiters very well, which I believe was the key point for me to be accepted on that job.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t have many job interview experiences, I\u2019d suggest you to focus on three key words: research, practice and rapport<\/strong>.<\/p>\n First, make sure you are well aware of the job\u2019s scope of work, the company and how your skills match this opportunity. Spare some time to do research prior to the interview. It helps you to keep your mind refreshed for the interview.<\/p>\n Secondly, practice, practice and practice. Training is a vital exercise, especially if you are an international student whose native language is not English. Check out the Career Development Team<\/a>, schedule mock interviews and rehearse to build up your confidence and relieve anxiety. Emotional preparedness is a key component to make you feel more comfortable during the interview.<\/p>\n Lastly, building a rapport with the interviewer is key to stand out from the competitors and get you closer to that job. At least for me, the most successful interviews I\u2019ve had were the ones in which I \u201cclicked\u201d with the recruiters, so the whole experience felt more like a compelling dialogue rather than a Q&A session.<\/p>\n One day after the interview, I received an e-mail from the Talent Bank offering me the job. I started to work in the beginning of June.<\/p>\n Looking back, I was very lucky to find this work because it not only had flexible hours, but the team were fantastic and I got to exercise my marcomms\u00a0skills under an international perspective. My initial scope of work was expanded, so I took part in\u00a0strategic projects such as the first Alumni Buddy scheme, case studies copywriting and many more. From that standpoint, I was able to manage work and study smoothly without getting overwhelmed.<\/p>\n Of course, there were days, especially towards the end of my course, when I\u2019d leave the office around 6pm to carry on with coursework with my classmates until late hours. It was tiring, but it was fun as well!\u00a0The truth is: keeping up is the most challenging part, but I never felt I needed to quit my job to focus on my studies.<\/p>\n Summing up, I\u2019d list these three things that will greatly make your work-study balance much easier and smoother:<\/p>\n My final advice<\/strong><\/p>\n A part-time job that supports your studies is not easy to find, but it is not impossible either. Keeping up is another challenge, so be prepared to adjust yourself and give up some things, such as going out with your friends after class all the time and studying in\u00a0the afternoons.<\/p>\n But hey, if you are looking to get some work experience, get paid and raise your employability skills, then get ready to roll up your sleeves and make it happen. London is a great business hub with lots of opportunities, so enjoy it as much as you can! Having been through this enriching experience over the past year, I can only say:\u00a0“Hello from the other siiiide!”<\/p>\n![\"part-time](\"http:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/international\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/54\/2016\/02\/Work-study-1024x683.jpg\")
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